Slam, dunk, win!

In October, a driver going about his business on the M25 early one morning would soon find himself out of a job.

 
His offense? Allegedly eating a cheese snack while driving. His accuser? An HR manager working for the same company, who astonishingly had the superior eyesight and presence of mind to note the driver’s infraction, brand of cheese snack, and registration number, all while she herself was busy driving.

 
The incident would be the last straw for EDF workers, who had had enough of the company’s bullying policies, which included dismissing staff for making one mistake and barring members from asking management witnesses direct questions during disciplinary hearings.

 
The Dairylea Dunker case was only one outrageous example out of many which exposed a company culture fuelled by fear and suspicion. In another instance, a trainee, who happened also to be a Unite rep, was given a written warning after making a single mistake while training.

 
The management onslaught against its workers led to threat of strike action earlier this week but has now been postponed, after EDF agreed to revise its disciplinary policies and the operative accused of eating while driving was reinstated following an ACAS hearing.

 
“Once again our union has shown that when it comes to defending our members, we are second to none,” said Unite regional officer Onay Kasab. “When our member was sacked, we continued defending him. When he lost the first appeal, this just strengthened our resolve – brilliantly illustrated by the strike vote.”

 
Unite has also welcomed an agreement from EDF management to address the union’s concerns on both pay, following a 2 per cent offer that members had earlier rejected, in addition to the rampantly unfair disciplinary issues plaguing the workforce.
The union will meet with management next week.

 
While Kasab welcomed the reinstatement of the driver in the Dairylea Dunker case, he noted that Unite and its members stand firm in their resolve to continue their fight until all their demands are met.

 
“The reinstatement is a fantastic result – no doubt management at EDF will console itself with a family pack of Dairylea Dunkers – we on the other hand will demand justice for all our victimised members,” he said.